The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of artichoke plant, botanically known as Cynara cardunculus L., and herein referred to by the cultivar name ‘PS-MSC0204’.
Cynara cardunculus L., commonly known as Globe artichoke, is a thistle-like perennial herb and is a member of the family Asteraceae. Globe artichokes comprise: leaves, which are pinnately lobed; but primarily spiney; oval capitula composed of overlapping layers of bracts surrounding a large number of florets; and receptacles, which are enlarged and fleshy. Globe artichoke plants may be propagated by division or vegetative means, and are essentially grown for the production of the immature flower heads, which are considered as vegetable delicacies. Fresh artichokes may be baked, steamed, or boiled, after which the fleshy receptacle, inner and outer bracts, and parts of the floral stem may be eaten.
The new artichoke cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program carried out by the inventor, William J. Colfer, in Chowchilla, Calif., in 2004. The new artichoke cultivar ‘PS-MSC0204’ is a result of a controlled cross between the female (seed) parent, Cynara cardunculus L. designated ‘CTMS2C’ (unpatented) and the male (pollen) parent, Cynara cardunculus L. designated ‘CT’ (unpatented) The new artichoke ‘PS-MSC0204’ was discovered and selected by the inventor, as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2004 in Chowchilla, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the artichoke ‘PS-MSC0204’ by vegetative cuttings was first performed in August of 2004 in Castroville, Calif., and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.